The Rio Grande Foundation (along with a host of organizations that support educational choice) will participate in School Choice Week 2013, which includes a first-of-its-kind trans-continental whistle stop tour.
The tour will stop in Albuquerque on Saturday and includes a reception at 5:30 p.m. at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History near Old Town.
Rio Grande Foundation president Paul Gessing will be among the speakers — a list that includes elected officials, parents and children who have benefited from school choice — on hand to explain why school choice is important.
“It is only fitting that — 150 years after construction began on the first transcontinental railroad — supporters of educational reform embark upon a whistle stop tour on behalf of educational choice,” Gessing said.
“After all, the transcontinental railroad opened up a continent that had previously been closed to all but a select few; school choice will open up children’s’ minds and grant educational options to all children, not just a select few who’s parents can afford educational choice.”
The Rio Grande Foundation has, and continues to support, all forms of school choice including charter schools, education tax credits, vouchers, digital learning, and home schooling.
As such, it advocates from the perspective that parents, not bureaucrats and politicians, know what is best for their children and will, if given the choice, find suitable educational options for their children.
“This year’s School Choice Week celebration is a truly unique opportunity for New Mexico as we are one of only 14 stops on the national whistle stop tour,” Gessing noted.
“Given our state’s historically poor educational performance, relatively limited choice options, and the onset of the 60 day legislative session, we hope that our state’s political leaders will take notice of the strong support school choice has in this state.”
Additional information on the Whistle Stop tour, including how to attend, can be found at riograndefoundation.org or by calling 505-264-6090.
Further details on the route of the tour, dates, and other participation opportunities can be found at schoolchoiceweek.com/train.